Praxis II Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades K-6 Exam
The Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades K-6 exam is divided into two sections: one section includes four case studies with 3 short-answer questions each, and the multiple choice section consists of 24 questions divided into two 12 question parts.
The short answer section will give four teaching situations, with three questions each, pertaining to comprehension of forms of teaching, principles of learning and teaching associated with various methods of teaching, and the implementation of the techniques. The examinee should be prepared to spend approximately 25 minutes on each of the four teaching situations. A total of about 20 minutes will be required to answer the 24 multiple choice questions. Both sections cover the same topics for grades K-6. Two hours is given to complete the exam.
The first area that the questions may address is Students as Learners, which consists of theories of learning and human development, various styles of learning, learning disabilities, managing and organizing a classroom, and ways to promote motivation in the classroom. The next area is Instruction and Assessment, which focuses on types of learning and methods of teaching, such as independent study and discovery learning, techniques and materials involved with methods of learning and teaching, strategies for creating lesson plans, and ways of grading and assessing students. The third area of questioning involves Communication Techniques, which focuses on techniques of communication, both verbal and nonverbal, that promote learning, participation, and comprehension in the classroom. The last area involves Profession and Community and requires knowledge of resources for educators to grow professionally and the role of teachers beyond the classroom.
The short-answer questions can be given scores from 0-2, with the high score being 2. A score of 2 is given for answers that respond to each element in the question with a superb understanding of important areas in the given teaching situation and a strong demonstration of theories and methods that apply to the situation. A score of 1 is given for fair demonstration of this knowledge and for response to only part of the question. A score of 0 is given for misinterpreting the areas that needed to be addressed and misapplying theories and concepts. The Students as Learners and the Instruction and Assessments sections contribute approximately 33% each to the total score, the Teacher Professionalism questions contribute to about 22% of the score, and Communication Techniques contribute approximately 11%.
